Charging apparatus



April 14, 1'925.

0 O 4 `o o 6% d if" 0 O O O I O O H. c. FREEDENBURG `SHARGrZNG APPARATUS Filed May 31 1923 3 Sheet-Sheet l SH01/mujer.

April.14, 192s.

H. C. FREEDE NBURG CHARGING A PPARATUS Filed May 5l i 192.3

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 14, 1925. 1533,84?

H. C. FREEDENBURG CHARGING APPARATUS Filed May 31 1925 5 Sheetsl-Sh'ee',v 5

Patented Apr.` 14,J 1925.

UNITED STATES f PATENT oFFicE.

HOWARD C. FREEDENBURG, OF BALTIMORE, MARY-LAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE IBARTLETT I IAYWARD COMPANY, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,

LAND.

A CORPORATION 0F MARY- CHARGING APrAnaTUs.

Application filed May 31, 1923. Serial No. 642,556.

To all 'whom fit may concern.'

Be it known that I, HOWARD C. FREEDnN- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Charging Apparatus, of vwhich the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to an improved charging apparatus, the structure being designed epriinarily for charging the retorts Iof a gas producing plant with measured quantities of coal. l

The mainl 0b]ect of the invention is to provide'a traveling structure carrying a 'y storage hopper of relatively large'capacity,

a weighing hopper, means for discharging the weighed charge of coal into the desired retort, means, under the control of the operator, for causing a travel ofthe structure as a whole and means for elevating or lowering the lioppers and discharge apparatus within the supporting traveling structure so as to' bring the discharging means into juxtaposition with any desired retort of the series.

The apparatusmay be said to be self contained, comprising a main supporting structure or carriage capable of being moved into any desired position and carrying a storage hopper` a weighing. hopper and suitable discharging mechanism. said hopper's and discharging mechanism being mounted for raising and lowering within the main y supporting structure or carriage.

ings :2 for the reception of axles 3 and -tto which are secured flanged wheels' 5 said wheels ruiming on tracks G which extend along in front of the retorts as T, Figure 1, which are to be charged.

4Rigidly secured to and extending upwardly'froin the hase frame is a frame denoted generally by 8 and having heavy box like girdei elements 9 and 10 at the upper portion thereof, said vertical frame also including as a part. thereof four vertically disposed beams or shapes 11, 12,13 and 14. Said shapes are spaced in rectangular relation. and in effect :form the guides or guideway for the vertically movable hoppers and dischargingmechanism.

It will of course be understood that the base frame and the upwardly extending guide and supporting frame will be silbstantially braced and tied together in order to sustain the load which is imposed thereon.

The storage hopper is designated by 15, the bottom being so formed that the discharge mouth 1G thereof stands more nearly adjacent the'outer face or side of the guide frame than it does the inner, this to admit ot' the proper positioning of the delivery mechanism hereinafter described.

The mouth of the hopper is divided intoy a series of ypocket like elements 17 the lower -end of each ot' which is closed by apair of said levers being 'likewise present at each end. The upper ends of the levers at one end of the gates are connected by a bar 25, while those at the opposite end of the gates are connected by a bar 26.. Bar 25 is piwfotally connected at one end to a lever 2T,

secured to a shaft :28, mounted in suit-able bearings as :29. said shaft alsoihaving secured to it a lever 30. A draw barBl is connected to the lower end of lever 30 and extends across the structure to one side of t-lie pockets 1T. Bar 26 is connected to the rocker shaft 28 through a lever 32. It will therefore be seen that as the draw har 31 -is reciprocated the gates will be opened and 4closedthrough power applied to each end of the gates. To ellect such endwise reciprocation,.the bar at one end is pivotally attached to a lever 33 extending outwardly their upper ends to a rigid built up frame from a collar 34, splined to and movable lengthwise of a vertically disposed shaft 35 mounted in suitable bearings and carrying at its lower end a beveled gear 36. A bevel pinion 37 meshes with said gear, the pinion being secured to one end of a horizontally disposed shaft 38 while a hand wheel 39 is secured to the opposite end adjacent the operators stand 40. By movement of the hand wheel, the gates may be opened and closed as desired, to permit the desired quantity of fuel to pass into underlying weighinO hopper 41'.

taid hopper 41 has secured to opposite sides thereof angle irons Eor similar supporting members denoted by 42 and 43 and to the outer end of each of these members there is secured suitable connecting elements 44 and 45 which in turn arepivotally connected to the scale levers 46 and 47, the outer ends of which are in turn sup orted by suitable hangers 48 and 49 attac ed at member designated generally by 50. Said frame member forms a guide for the upper end of the hopper 41 and is tied to and forms a part of the elevator structure proper comprising the hopper 15, the Ahopper 41 and the discharge mechanism hereinafter described.

Levers 46 and 47 are connected'at their' inner ends toa scale beam .or lever 51 to the outer end of which there is attached a downwardly extending link or rod 52 which in' turn is pivotally connected to a lever l53 fulcrumed at its inner end and having attached to its outer end a link 54, which, acting through a rocking lever 55, link 56 and a pointer 57 indicates on a dial 58the weight of the coal which is fed into the weighing hopper when the gates 18 andv19 are open.

l The dial 58 is located adjacent the operators stand and he can readily determine when the proper amount or charge of material has passed into the weighing hopper and through the manipulation of the handwheel'v 39 can close the gates and thus cut off feed from the storage hopper or bin to the weighin hopper. x

ecuredto the lower end of the hopper 41 is a horizontally disposed guideway or track 59 upon which is mounted a truck or carriage 60 carrying a gate or valve 61 adapted to open and close the discharge mouth of the weighing hopper. By reciprocatingthe carriage the gate valve may be opened or A closed. To effect' such opening and closing operation any suitable mechanism, such as the following may be employed.

Located to one side of Athe structure is a vertically disposed shaft 62 the lower end of which is mounted in a suitable bearingv 63, Fig. 1, and a hand lever 64 is secured to the shaft adjacent such bearing and in j a position where it may bereadily grasped by the operator to=oscillate the shaft. The

shaft is supported and steadied by a bracketed bearing 65 secured to a fixed portion 66 of the elevator structure and encircling the shaft above said bracketed member is a collar 67 which is splined for longitudinal movement on the shaft and yet partakes of the oscillating movement which may be imparted to the shaft by the operator. EX- tending outwardly from said collar Vis an arm 68 which has pivotallyconnected to its outer end a pair of draw links or rods 69 which at their lopposite ends are connected to the truck 60.

It will thus be seen that the operatormay, by moving the hand lever 64, eii'ect an opening or closing of the gate 61 at the desired time.

The mouth of the hopper 41 overlies the outer end of a funnel shaped member 70, said funnel having mounted therein an adjustablethroat piece 71, pivoted at 72 adjacent the upper end of the front wall of the funnel.` The rear wall 73 f the funnel terminates short of the lower end of the 'funnel and the side walls .extend downwardly beyond the front and rear walls and the lower ends as at 74 are of arcuate form.v

its periphery, over a guide pulley 81, about a second guide pulley 82 and thence rearwardly about a third guide pulley 83 back to the pulley 77. The belt as it leaves the large feed pulley 7 9 lpasses beneath the lower open portion of a pipe orconduit 84 forming `in e'ect the bottom of said pipe, the upper wall of which at its inner end extends inwardly into the groove formed in the .feed pulley 79. The outer end ofthe 'p'ipe 84 beyond the belt is continuous, that iis to say, the pipe is not cut away at its 'lower side at this portion. The pipe and the'various pulleys are supported in a subframe denoted generally by 85, which 'ex-v.

tends downwardly and is lrigidly secured tothe lower portion of the elevator structure. Motion is imparted to the belt-7 8 and through it to the pulley- 79, with which it Yis held in contact, from a motor 86through a sprocket chain 87, which passes-over a v sprocket wheel secured to the shaft 75. The belt 7 8 and the" pulley 79 act ,to gather and forward the lfuel -passing from .the funnel 70 and toI project it outwardly through the tube 84 into thatl retort 7, which is opposite the end of the pipe at the time the feed is being effected. Y

As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 1

and 93 for the drum 87.

the pipeand the forward end of the upper runof the belt are given a slight upward. inclination toward the discharge end of the pipe, vthis for thefpurpose of insuring a proper entrance of the fuel into the retort and the passage thereof to the rear portion of the retort.

To secure a raising and lowering of the lelevator structure, as such, comprising the supporting frame for the storage bin, the weighing hopper and the-fuel feeding and projecting means, as just described, and likewise to effect a traverse of the structure as a whole along the rails ofthe track 6, the following means may be employed.

Mounted insuitable bearings, secured to the frame 8, is a pair of drums 86 and 87, said drums being each provided with oppositely inclined spiral windingv grooves or channels y88, 89 adapted to receive a pair of chains 90 and 91 for`the drum 86, and 92 The chains 90 and 91 pass upwardly from the drum 86 and over double rollers or sheave pulleys 94, chain 90 passing over a pulley 95, thence downwardly beneath a pulley 96 secured to the lower portion of the elevator frame,

thence upwardly to a fixed element 97 which is secured to the lower portion of the boxlike girder 9. Chain 91 passes from pulley 94 over a pulley 98, thence downwardly under and about a pulle;7 99, and upwardly to a fixed element 100, likewise secured to the girder 9. Chains 92 and 93 follow the samey general course passing over and about similar pulleys upon the opposite side of the machine. The ends of the chains being secured to members, similar to the members 97 and 100, attached or secured to the boxlike girder 10.

Secured to each of the shafts upon which the drums`86 and 87 are likewise secured, are worm 'gears 101,. and 102, said gears meshing with worms as 103, the shafts upon which said worms are mounted carrying at their outer ends bevelled gears 104 and 105 respectively. Said gears mesh with bevelled gears or pinions 106 and 107 secured upon a shaft 108, the outer end of which carries a clutch element 109.

^ Motion for rotating the drums and lconsequently raismg the elevator structure .is imparted'to the gearing just described from a motor 110, the motor shaft carrying av ing connection with the clutch element 109 through the manipulation of a hand lever 117 which is connected with such shiftable clutch member through a link 118 and a -drives a sprocketl wheel 124. A sprocket chain 125 passes about the sprocket wheel 124 and about a larger sprocket 126 secured to the axle 3. Then the clutch element 115 is shifted to the left it imparts its motion topinion 114 and such motion is transmitted through gear 120, shaft 121, pinion 122. gear 123 and sprocket chain 125 to the axle thus causing the structure to be moved along the tracks or rails 6. By reversing the motor traverse may be in either direction along the track so as to bring the discharge tube 84 into alinement with any vertical series of retorts or to bring the storage hopper 15 beneath a bin or similar point of supply from which the hopper 15 maybe filled. Suitable brake mechanism, not shown, may be employed, to arrest the travelof the carriage. Y

It is thought that the operation of the mechanism will be .understood from the foregoing description but al brief rsum will be given.

Assuming that the storage hopper 15 has been filled, the operator starts the motor and throws the clutch element to the left causing "the gearing just described to come into operation and bring the discharge pipe 84 into alinement with thel retort to` be charged. The carriage is then brought to rest by disconnecting the clutch element.

The operator then, through the manipulation of the hand wheel 39 opens the gates 18, 19 and permits the coall to pass from the hopper 15 into the weighing hopper 41. `When sufficient coal has passed into the weighing hopper, as will be shown by the indicator 57 on the dial 58, the operator closes the gates 18, 19. Then by manipulating the hand lever 64, he causes a yretraction of the gate 61 and permits the weighed charge to pass from the weighing hopper `into the funnel 70.

-The Icoal passes downwardly through the funnel '70 and isgathered up and carried upper run of the belt 78 and the grooved pulley or wheel 7 9. Owing to the speed of the belt the coal will be projected forwardly and outwardly through and from the mouth .downwardly and forwardly between the.

of the tubular member 84 and projected into the retort with which-'the tube is at -that time in almement ed within said frame and embodying a stor-` Having reference to Fig. 1 and assuming that the lower retort 7 has been charged, the

gate 61 is closed and the operator will again 4 start the motor 11() in operation and throw the clutch element 115 to the right whereby the drums 86 and 87 will be caused to rotate, winding the chains thereon and causing the. elevator structure as a whole to be moved upwardly, the parts being brought to rest when the pipe 84 is in line with the next retort above, or in alinement with any one of the retorts which it is desiredto charge. The charge is then permitted to pass. roin the storage hopper into the weighing hopper where it is weighed and from which it is allowed to gravitate into the funnel to be projected in the manner above described into the retort.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a charging mechanism by which the various retorts may be readilyand accurately charged. The mechanism may be traversed in ront of the retorts and likewise raised and l-owered in order to charge the various retorts in the vertical series. isV self contained and is easy of manipulation and control and materially assists in the proper charging of the retortsso thateach retort will receive a weighed charge to meet the conditions underwhich the plantis being operated.

While I have described the structure somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that in so far as the generic invention is concerned, that the same is not limited to such details and the broader claims are to bev read and construed in light of this understanding. A. Y

Having thus described my invention lwhat I claim and desire to` secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a supporting frame; an elevator structure caried thereby, said structure embodying a storage hopper a weighing hopper, and a discharging mec a`- nism; means under control of the operator for raising and lowering the elevator structure; and means likewise under control-of the operator for controlling the discharge of material from the storage hopper tothe weighing hopper and from the weighing hopper to the discharge mechanism.

2. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a traveling supporting frame; an elevator structure mountage hopper, a weighing hopper underlying said storage hopper, and a discharge mechanism adapted to receive the material from the weighing hopper; means under control of the operator for raisingV and lowering the elevator structure; and means, likewise under control of the operator for controlling the passageA of material from the storage The structure` latter to the discharge mechanism.

3. In an apparatus of the character speciied the combination of asupporting frame capable of being traversed; means for traversing the same; an elevator structure supported within the frame, and comprising a storage hopper, a weighing hopper underlying the same, and a discharge mechanism 'for the material underlying the weighing hopper; means controlling the passage of material from the storage hopper to the weighing hopper; means controlling the passage of the material from the lweighing hopper to rthe discharge mechanism; and means under the control of the operator for raising and lowering the elevator.

4. In an apparatus of the character specilied,'the combination of a supporting frame capable of -being traversed; a storagehopper; a weighing hopper located beneaththe same; means controlling the discharge of the material from the storage hopper into the weighing hopper a discharge mechanism associated with and underlying said weightending laterally from the lower portion of the pulley, the major portion of the lower side of the pipe being out away; an endless belt having lts upper run extending beneath the openend of the funnel, beneath and in contact with the under run of the pulley, and beneath the lower open side of the pipe; and means'for driving the belt.

6. In an apparatus of the4 character specified the combination of a supporting frame; wheels upon which said frame is mounted; vertically disposed guides carried by the frame; a secondary frame -mounted within the supporting frame and engaging the guides; a supply hopper mounted in -the upper portion of the secondary frame; gates controlling the discharge of said hopper; a weighing hopper mounted in the secondary frame below the gates just lmentioned; a gate for cont-rolling the discharge of material from said weighing hopper; means undei` the control of the operator for actuating .the gates; a funnel-shaped member standing in alnement with the discharge of the weighing hopper; a.pulley having a end of the hopper; an endless belt, the upper run of which extends beneath the lower end of the funnel and contacts the lower portion of the pulley forming therewith a conduit for the forward feeding of the material passing from the funnel; a tubular member extending outwardly from the lower portion of the pulley, the belt aforesaid forming the lower portion of said tubular member; means for driving the belt; and means under the control of the operatorvfor raising and lowering the secondary frame and the parts carried thereby and likewise impart- 10 ing motion to the wheels upon which the supporting frame is mounted.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. l'

HOWARD o. FREEDENBURG. 

